Pages

A Message from Ruth at Antiques And Teacups

Welcome to the blog of Antiques And Teacups! Let's share a cup of tea and talk about the things we love...like teacups, antiques, collectibles, visiting England, antiquing and learning about victoriana and quirky gadgets. Fun!

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Hello! I hope you are all well and enjoying your forced sabbatical from "normal" life.

We had our groceries delivered a few days ago, and they had some fresh organic strawberries. I couldn't resist!

I put together a strawberry and silver tea in the sunroom...

I had just listed a Hammersley, England Strawberry Ripe pattern strawberry basket, and thought I would use it, as I seldom find one with all the parts...

The pattern is so pretty! Strawberry sets always have a pitcher for cream and either s sugar basin or sugar shaker depending on age and maker.

This set has has the cream and sugar basin that fit in clever incorporated wells...

I must say, you usually are missing the cream and sugar...

This 3 piece bone china was made in England between 1974-1989 when Hammersley was part of the Spode Group. The pottery was closed and the Hammersley name discontinued in 1989.

I have included this silver strawberry fork, in case you haven't seen one, as they are pretty rare. The Victorians loved having a special utensil for everything, and these were for strawberries.

This particular silver fork was made by by WM Rogers and Son Silver Company, USA in AA plate, which was a top quality heavy plate, in the 1913-1920s and is in the Fair Oak pattern.

To serve the strawberries, I used a set of cut crystal berry bowls in a pretty pattern with feet...

I don't know the maker, but are American and date to the 1950s with a pretty pattern of arches, diamonds etc.

For the sugar, in this case Demarara, I have another Victorian specialty... a sugar sifting spoon. They were designed to sift Demarar or powdered sugar on muffins and crumpets, but work well with Demarara too.

This American silver spoon was made between 1890-1910, but doesn't have a maker mark so I am unsure of the silversmith. Love the shaped holes!

The spoons are a set of 3 sterling silver teaspoons in a French inspired fleur d'lis art nouveau style made by Geo. Shiebler & Company, USA in the Clematis pattern and retailed by Sanders Silver Company, USA in the 1890s.

I always love it when the retailer is identified too. This is during the time Tiffany & Company was importing and retailing many things under their own name, and the Sanders store did as well.

Monday, April 13, 2020

I hope you had/are having a lovely Easter or Passover interlude, even if it is in isolation.

It is April, and new life is burgeoning around us... Swallows flitting, visitors to the birdbath, Tulips blazing in the garden... all from a different perspective this year. Here are pages from my Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden...

But this part of April always causes me to remember the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic...the unsinkable ocean liner that sunk after hitting an iceberg on the night of April 14th thru 15th, 1912. So pivotal it started off the first episode of Downton Abbey! Remember?And a reminder was brought to the fore by finding a tin of the Titanic Blend tea from Harney & Sons I reordered a few months ago, as it is a great favorite.

The famous White Star ocean liner Titanic sailed with custom designed china for first class passengers from the Royal Crown Derby pottery in England which were reissued for the centennial in 2012, so I am sharing a teacup and teapot from the Titanic china for 1st Class passengers...

I think the design is lovely...so elegant and classic. The cup and saucer is if I remember correctly 42 pounds, or about $60.

Monday, April 6, 2020

A Happy Easter to you... one we never thought to experience... each family in our homes joining via via technology to celebrate rather than joining our voices in song and prayer together in a group... but precious none the less...

Easter eggs, with the underlyng concept of renewal and new birth, are a traditional part, although a secular one, of Easter celebrations...

which brings me eggcups!

Do you know what Pocillovy is???

Collecting eggcups!

Eggcups have been around in one form or another for centuries. The oldest example was found in Pompeii and dates to 79AD

In form, they are usually a simple cylinder or on a pedestal with a foot, or in the case of these Victorian and Edwardian examples above, a combination of a small size for a boiled chicken egg and a larger cup for either a boiled duck egg or coddled egg serving.

The above is a single bone china eggcup by Shelley, England in the Dainty Polka Dot pattern...

they have been made in every material imaginable....

And are elegant or fun... like these shoe hose figural eggcups above... that surely were designed to remind us of the Old Lady Who Lived In A Shoe for a nursery tea...

And cottageware eggcups are so cute in a single, hoop or cylinder shape...

Porcelain with Daisies...

Bone china with red dragons.. from Crown Staffordshire, England in the Rangoon pattern...

And from Victoria magazine... use them for small vases or place cards or favors...

I found this great recipe for a bunny shaped cake in Good Housekeeping magazine in 2011 and thought I'd add it here...as it's Easter bunny time fast approaching. The original diagram is no longer online, but I am thinking it's possible to draw your own pattern on parchment and use that. It makes a 13X9 size, then you can diagram it out.

In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and butter just until blended. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes or until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in flour mixture alternately with pineapple mixture just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture and occasionally scraping bowl.

In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in cream-of-coconut mixture. Makes about 3 cups.

Make a bunny pattern on parchment paper (Note: one square = one inch.)

When cake is cool, transfer to large flat platter. Using pattern and knife, cut out bunny's body and ears from cake. Place some cake trimmings on tail and ears to add height. With metal spatula, spread frosting over side and top of cake. Gently press coconut into frosting on cake. Decorate bunny with Jordan almonds for ear, jelly bean for eye, heart-shaped candy for mouth, and licorice for whiskers.

*Reserve cream of coconut remaining in can (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) to use in frosting recipe

LinkWithin

Spring

Visit my Website

About Me

Welcome to Antiques And Teacups blog!

Hi there! I am so glad you are here! Let's have a cup of tea and talk about teacups, pretty china, afternoon tea and things we love! I am Ruth, mother of 2 grown children with their own families, and am a lifelong lover of Victoriana and taking tea...inherited from my English grandmother Emma Bridgewater...she is on the sidebar! I have been in the antiques and collectibles business since 1988 and specialize in English china, especially Shelley...something I have collected for years. You'll see a lot of it here! Can't wait to visit and share a cup of tea! My English husband and I serve the Lord Jesus, and live each day at a time. He has Parkinson's Disease, but we are thankful for each day together! 40+ years married, and hopefully lots more!